Other players scored more points on Tuesday as the high school basketball tournament kicked off in Bangor. But no one had a more impressive day than Isaiah Lawrence.
The senior center from Shead High School of Eastport gets our first nod for BDN top tourney performance of the day after showing up for his Tiger team with a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Lawrence’s presence down low helped No. 5 seed Shead secure a 50-38 win over No. 4 Washburn in day one of the Class S boys tournament.
“Isaiah is my big,” Shead coach Corey Sullivan said about the senior. “He’s our rebounder and he gets his put-backs.”
And he had a big night for the Tigers.
The 6-foot-3, 170-pound Lawrence downplayed his strength down low after the win. But there was no denying that he was a force in the paint for Shead on Tuesday.
Asked about the key to his success near the basket, Lawrence said he tries not to get pushed around.
“I think just to not let them shove me,” he said. “Because honestly, I am tall, but I’m really thin. I’m not very strong either. So just kind of keep my base down and grab the ball.”
Tuesday was Lawrence’s first tourney game on the floor at the Cross Center, a space that he described as “grand and large.” But neither the court nor the moment were too big for Lawrence and his teammates as they brought home the quarterfinal win.
And it wasn’t just Lawrence’s performance on the court that stood out Tuesday. The senior center also sports a pair of retro-looking goggles to help him see.
He’s always needed eyewear on the court, he said, and after having some regular glasses get destroyed while playing basketball, he had to switch to the hardier goggles.
And they gave him a distinctive, retro look on Tuesday.
“No one else really has goggles,” Lawrence said.
And no one else had a bigger, more balanced performance for their team on Tuesday to start the tournament.